The Challenge
by YukiSkye
Summary: Heaven knows what compelled Phantom to fall for Luminous's gibes and accept his bet but it seems like he'll be helping the poor thief learn one of the most complex set of principles of light magic known to Maple in two weeks. Let the challenge begin!
1. Day 1: The Challenge, Begin!

To those waiting on Homecoming, I'm very deeply sorry but I haven't much in terms of the next chapter except for a few bits and pieces since finals are here. Writing this was a way for me to de-stress so please be patient a little while longer.

This is basically an attempt by yours truly to work out and maybe explain some of the mysteries of Maple World's magic but I guess it's mostly for my own amusement and as food for thought than any real serious undertaking so it's not a full-fledged story. That said, I welcome anyone who has any ideas or something to say/add or found some kind of contradiction here somewhere to just give a shout! I'd be glad to chew on whatever you give me and I might even try to squeeze in the new ideas somewhere in this… story(?)

This will most likely be updated daily so keep your eyes peeled!

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**Day 1**: The Challenge, Begin!

Freud blinked incredulous eyes at the man standing in front of his desk.

"You would like me to what?"

"Teach me Erithros's Principles of Equinox," Phantom repeated simply, arms crossed.

"Phantom," Freud began, putting down his quill and rubbing slender fingers against his eyes. "Erithros's Principles of Equinox is an extremely complex theory of light magic. Why on earth would you want to learn it? Where did you even hear of such advanced kno—" He abruptly stopped and sighed. "Wait, let me guess. Luminous goaded you into this didn't he?"

"Come on Freud!" Phantom groaned. "He insulted my work ethic _and_ my competence! And I am anything _but_ a freeloader _or_ inept! But of course the bigot wouldn't believe it unless I spelled it out to him so he challenged me to learn Erithros's Principles within two weeks at the end of which I would give a lecture on the topic to a group of scholars from Aurora."

"So you thought the best course of action would be to fall for his taunts?" Freud asked dryly. "How very befitting of someone your age and reputation."

"Freud," Phantom whined.

Freud sighed again and leaned back, his chair creaking with the movement, and folded his hands on his desk. "If you took on his challenge because you believed you could learn those principles in that short a time span using only your photographic memory, then I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken and Luminous was one step ahead of you in that regard."

Phantom frowned. "How so?"

Freud shook his head. "Although having perfect memory could help hasten things along, Erithros's Principles of Equinox rests on a large accumulation of knowledge the premises of which builds onto each other. If you do not understand even the basics, the foundation of your entire ability to learn his principles crumbles. There is also a fair amount of mathematical proofs involved so even if you simply memorized the information, you would definitely not be able to understand what all of it means and if you were to lecture in front of scholars based on pure memorization alone, it would quickly become evident that you have no deeper understanding of the subject whatsoever. In short, it requires some critical thinking."

"Fine then," Phantom growled, slamming his hands on Freud's desk and leaning forward, eyes narrowed in determination fueled by an indignant pride. "What would it take to learn it?"

Freud paused as he considered the question. "Well," he began slowly. "If you are truly resolute in learning the principles, then I'll assume that you are willing to devote the better part of the day and night in studying the subject. If that were the case, then I could teach you the principles step by step since I believe the processes could be broken down into thirteen parts, leaving a spare day as a safety net."

Phantom nodded. "Okay. That sounds plausible," he agreed.

"_But_ we must take into account each of our own duties. I cannot take two weeks off my own work to tutor you and similarly, you cannot shirk two weeks off your own work." Freud gave him a pointed look at that. "Which means that the majority of time would be self-study sessions during whatever is left of your free time."

"I know…" Phantom sighed, running a hand through blonde locks.

"And you're still willing to do this?" Freud asked, raising a brow. "I must warn you that it is difficult enough to learn the material in one year but to compress it into two weeks might be too much even for you."

"That's fine. I'm no scholar but I'm no idiot either. Two weeks would be plenty of time for me," Phantom scoffed confidently.

Freud smirked. "Very well then. If you are willing to learn then I see no reason not to teach you but expect me to be a very stringent instructor. I expect only your best efforts."

Phantom nodded. "And I shall give nothing less."

"Then we begin immediately," Freud announced, taking a clean sheet of parchment and scribbling something on it rapidly. "Erithros's Principles are nothing to laugh at and the enormity of what needs to be learned is made even more immense by your lack of knowledge of even the basics of general magic so we will have to speed through that. In the meantime, I would like you to go around my study and gather the following materials while I finish up the rest of my work. Here."

He handed the piece of paper over to Phantom who took it gingerly, eyes darting across the words and raising a brow at the rather elongated list.

"All this is necessary?" he asked incredulously.

Freud shrugged. "If you want a complete understanding of the topic by the end of two weeks then yes, it is quite necessary. I hope you weren't expecting that the readings would be light. You would probably have to take a lot of these books back with you since we won't have time to cover everything we need to." He glanced over at Phantom, an amused glint in his eye. "If you don't feel up to it, it's not too late to stop now."

Phantom scowled. "Never."

"Then I suggest you hop to it."


	2. Day 1, Lesson 1

**Day 1, Lesson 1:** Basic Mana

Phantom drummed his fingers on the thick tome settled across his lap, eyes skimming the content in record speed while the quill positioned over the piece of paper laid out over the right page furiously churned out words.

_Mana is a continual stream of energy originating from some region deep within the mind. As a person grows, so does_ _their apparent amount of mana which might imply that maturity of the mind plays a role in the development of this substance. It might also result from experience with handling stress and pressure in different situations enough so that the flow of mana comes easier._

_The specific mechanisms of where, how, and what are still being investigated but since mana is an insubstantial substance, it's difficult to study in ways other than indirectly. There may also be exceptions for those who do not use or do not have mana._

He flipped the page and shuffled the paper to the left, switching the quill over to his other hand and continued.

_Pure mana doesn't seem different amongst individuals but as they grow more specialized in using certain spells, they eventually grow so proficient at their area of expertise that they eventually lose the ability to use any other spells. The weapons they use also act as conduits to enhance their abilities, further emphasizing the differences between classes._

Phantom finally looked up from his work and blew out a breath.

Tasked with summarizing the basics of magic from the entire book, it was unsurprising that he was starting to feel tired.

A quick glance over at Freud told him that he was still finishing up. He sighed and cracked his neck before setting on his task once again.

The stuff was long, somewhat dry, and admittedly disheartening but he'd already committed himself to Luminous's challenge and he'd be _damned _before he'll let that bastard get smug satisfaction of being right. Backing down was simply _not_ an option.

Steeling himself, Phantom poured over the text with renewed vigor and time seemed to squeeze by both remarkably fast yet slow when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and Phantom looked up.

Freud had a smile on his face and his eyes crinkled slightly as though he were keeping in a small bit of laughter but his expression was soft, almost fond.

"How are you doing?"

"Alright I'd say. Here, the summary you wanted," Phantom replied wearily, handing over his work—several pages of it.

Silence reigned in the room for a long while as Freud's eyes darted across the work Phantom had managed to conjure during the time he had been concluding his studies before finally, oceanic irises looked up at him and a bright smile graced his features.

"Very well done," he praised softly and Phantom felt a sudden swell of pride and the confidence that maybe, just maybe he could do this after all.


	3. Day 2, Lesson 1 5

**Day 2, Lesson 1.5:** Dark Magic

"Now that we've got the basics out of the way, we'll delve a little more into the specifics of the closest relatives of light magic so that you'll know their differences, how they are different and why so that in the future, you won't get confused as to why light magic is as it is and not something else."

Freud beckoned towards Phantom to the spot beside him behind his desk and unrolled a large piece of parchment. Illustrated on it was a ring of eight symbols inscribed in colored circles. In the middle of the ring sat a symbol in a gray circle split into thirds.

"This is an affinity circle. It describes how affiliated each element is to each other. The elements that sit immediately to the left and right of each other are those elements that have the highest affinity towards one another."

Freud pointed to the circle sitting in the middle of the top part of the circle.

"Starting from water or ice, represented here by this magical symbol, and going clockwise, we have dark, light, holy, fire, earth or poison, wind, and lightning. The symbol in the middle represents neutral magic such as Magic Claw or the like and it's further divided into offensive, defensive, and supportive magic just as the rest is. So as you can see, of all the types of magic in the world, the two that are closest to light are holy and dark."

Phantom raised a brow in surprise at that. "Dark?"

"Yes. It seems counterintuitive doesn't it?" Freud chuckled but then paused. "Dark magic by and in itself isn't evil," he continued quietly after a length. "Darkness is simply the absence of light. That is all. In essence, it could also be called void magic. Void magic has a unique attribute in that it lacks any distinguishable properties so that its very nature is to seek and absorb. But this also makes it the unfortunate ideal form of magic to use for the more unsavory spells and thus, dark magic has always been equated with evil.

"I know for a fact this isn't true but it's a sad reality for many in the world. You should know, Phantom, that although the Onyx Dragons have many affinities with all manners of elements, the two they have the strongest affiliation with are fire and… darkness. But it doesn't make them any more evil than you or me. If anything, they represent an artful balance. Magic is a wondrous tool just as any science is but it is still just a tool nonetheless. It's not a matter of what the tool is but rather who wields it that is the question. To use dark magic as an excuse for malevolence is simply…" Freud shook his head. "But I digress. I apologize. I cannot waste your time with my drivel so let's continue."

Phantom shook his head. "No, it's fine. Actually, I would like to hear more about the magic between you and Afrien."

Freud looked at him skeptically. "Can you afford to waste any more precious time? You should be aware that you'll be forced to make up for it."

Phantom shrugged. "I'll manage it. I _am_ the Master Thief Phantom after all," he declared with a suave smirk.

Freud sighed but there was a small, warm smile on his face as he answered, "Alright then," and Phantom thought that it fit him much better than a frown.


	4. Day 3, Lesson 2 & 3

**NoxPersona9:** Thank you very much for your kind compliments XD And that's very astute of you! That's exactly something I'll address a little later on in about three more chapters so keep that thought at the back of your mind until then ;)

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**Day 3, Lesson 2 & 3:** Holy and Light

Maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to strike up a conversation about Onyx Dragons and Freud's magic yesterday but he didn't really regret it even as he groaned under the weight of the massive amount of books, scrolls, and papers piled onto him. If all the scholastic institutions of the world suddenly decided to upend all its tasks down onto him, this would be what it'd look like.

_... Holy magic could be said to be comparable to the rays of the sun since holy magic is imbued with both the sun's light and heat but its most important property that it's most well-known for is its ability to create and restore. This also makes it effective against dark creatures because the warmth of holy magic is able to diffuse through them in a similar way as how heat diffuses to cooler areas until equilibrium is reached since dark magic, with an absence of any properties, is essentially a heat sink. With holy magic's light and capability of restoration, it is able to create the energy that the dark magic perpetually seeks, therefore stabilizing and dispelling a portion of it within the organism and causing atrophy within the dark creatures' bodies at a rapid pace…_

Oh he was making up for it alright.

The amount of work he had to catch up on might have been enough to make even full-grown, well-established academics shed a few tears but Phantom was not an academic nor was he an ordinary man. He was Master Thief Phantom dammit and he refused to be beaten by something like this! He's stared down situations more taxing and stressful than a few measly tower of books!

But even so…

Phantom stared at the reading and allowed himself a mental whimper.

A few feet away, Freud watched the wallowing thief while hiding a broad grin behind his teacup as he tried to stifle his laughter enough so that it wasn't _too_ loud.


	5. Day 4, Lesson 4

**JustKIdding:** I'm very happy to hear that you're enjoying this so far because I enjoy writing this (otherwise this wouldn't be a de-stressor for me haha)! But yes, NoxPersona9's question has already been taken account of and the answer to his question will come in just two more chapters so please be patient :)

**Skyedrift:** Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy this so far. I hope you'll also enjoy the future chapters as they come along ^^

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**Day 4, Lesson 4:** Basic Theory of Light Magic

Finally, the topic at hand.

Now that he knew what made light magic different from all the rest and the basics of what it is and how it worked, it was time to get to the nitty-gritty. Unfortunately, this same day he had an urgent mission to infiltrate a nearby enemy camp and though he was lucky enough to be able to complete it in only one day, it was still one full day he had missed so today—or rather tonight— was a self-study session.

By the light of a lamp casting shadows across the hollowed library, Phantom diligently read page after page of the tome in front of him, eyes flying through each paragraph in expeditious but meticulous speed, absorbing the knowledge he gleaned from the words at a rapid pace.

Footsteps echoed across the floor from behind, drawing closer and closer and Phantom gave a small nod as a way of acknowledgement, eyes never once straying from their swift path along the sentences.

"Yes, Gaston?" Phantom muttered distractedly.

There was a small pause before Gaston replied, "I've brought some tea, if you like."

"Ah yes, thank you. Just set it over there." Phantom gestured vaguely towards the left side of his desk stacked with several books.

Gaston complied and set the teacup on its saucer carefully on top of one of the small piles but didn't move to leave, instead silently turning to observe Phantom poring over his books.

After a spate of silence, Gaston finally spoke up. "Hmm, I rarely recall you pursuing any venture aside from your nighttime activities with such tenacity and concentration and I don't think I've _ever_ seen you pursuing academics with such fervor before. Might I ask why the sudden change?"

"A bet," Phantom grunted, closing the volume in front of him only to immediately reach for another and flipping it open with a rustle of pages.

"A bet is it?" Gaston repeated thoughtfully. "If only a bet could motivate you to be this determined in all aspects of your life. I get rather tired of tidying your wardrobe every time after you storm through it and ruin my good work. Why on earth, I must wonder, are you so particular about how your underwear is arranged anyway and why it should matter is completely beyond m—"

"Get out, Gaston, get out."

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Sorry this doesn't have interesting facts but hopefully it makes up for it with some humor ;_; Some of the chapters won't have anything in particular to say about magic but I hope you'd enjoy those snippets anyway!


	6. Day 5, Lesson 5

**Skyedrift:** I agree! Anything with Gaston thrown in is bound to be awesome because his sarcasm and wit is just so hilarious especially when they're directed towards Phantom. Put him in his place y'know XD

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**Day 5, Lesson 5:** Intermediate Theory of Light Magic I

"… Next question. What is it about these photons that make light magic possible?"

"Their ability to exhibit properties of both wave and particle," Phantom replied promptly.

Freud nodded as he continued to pace in front of a seated Phantom, arms held behind his back.

"And lastly, how do these properties contribute exactly?"

"The particle nature of photons allows them to exert a very miniscule amount of pressure on an object although this light pressure is negligible in everyday life."

Freud finally ceased his pacing to stand in front of Phantom, a glint of approval in his eyes.

"Very good. You did well for your self-study but from here on out, it will only get harder and harder. Now we can finally move on to the intermediate aspects of light magic."

Phantom smirked confidently. "I'm looking forward to it."

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I apologize for how short this is but NoxPersona9's question asking, "wouldn't Phantom need to know some of the principles of magic in order to use the mage skills he 'stole' (or most likely copied), albeit if only a few basic ones?" will finally be answered in the next chapter so look forward to it!


	7. Day 6, Lesson 6

**JusKIdding:** Pfffffffft! Phantom as a scholar? dfdjskfdafdsjk My brain just cannot process such thoughts because of the sheer improbability. He's just too flat-out uninterested.

**Frozen Fate:** Oh very good! I couldn't have summarized it better myself! Yes that's exactly how it is! Very insightful! Yes, he indeed does understand it to some extent however, if you were to ask him to explain it in-depth or to lecture to others, he wouldn't have the first clue about it and because of this lack of knowledge… Well, you got the gist XD And I'm glad I was able to get at least a chuckle out of you for that chapter hahaha! :

This is, I believe, the longest chapter in the story. Hope you enjoy it!

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**Day 6, Lesson 6: **Intermediate Theory of Light Magic II

"… It's curious…"

Phantom glanced up over the top of the book he had been assigned at the soft mutter and raised an inquiring brow at a pensive Freud seated across from him at the desk.

"What is?"

Freud shook his head. "Oh nothing much. It's just that for some time now I've wanted to examine your skills a little closer is all."

"Oh is that so?" Phantom purred, a smug smirk beginning to take form on his lips as he put aside his book. "I always knew you were in awe of my talents!"

Freud rolled his eyes. "Not out of awe mind you but out of curiosity. Your magic is quite unique," he commented ponderously.

"Is that so now? Do tell me more," Phantom coaxed, his smirk growing wider and wider by the second as he planted his elbows on the table and rested his chin on intertwined fingers.

"Always eager for ways to feed your ego aren't you?" Freud asked, an amused tilt in his lips.

"But of course! Why hide my excellence? I _am_ rather marvelous so please, do continue. I am _all_ ears."

"And you're sure about going off schedule yet again? Do I need to remind you of how much you had to catch up on last time? This time the work will be ten times harder. Will the extra work be worth bloating your ego I wonder?"

"There's nothing I can't handle and besides, I've managed before. I can manage it again so continue," Phantom said dismissively, waving the concern aside.

"Well it is your decision after all," Freud chuckled. "Alright, then I'll tell you that in all my years of studying magic, I've never encountered any other individual such as yourself with the ability to mimic others' skills. To explain further, I'll begin by saying that, with the exceptional talents of the Paladins notwithstanding, most individuals have affinities for one or two elements but no more and thus, they are all restricted in the number of skills they could perform. But you don't appear to have any such constraint. You're able to use every element save light and wind, an extraordinary number that bests the Paladins or even what Afrien and I have in our arsenal. I have not seen anyone else who could handle six elements.

"Moreover, you have the ability to use your cane as a template upon which you manipulate your cards into an imitation of any weapon you please. As you are aware from your study of basic mana, these weapons are conduits without which individuals are unable to perform their skills. It's really rather clever."

"But of course," Phantom said, sitting back in his chair with all the dignity and airs of a haughty royal king wearing an expression of smug self-satisfaction fit for a cat who had just eaten the canary. "I had thought of it after all. Well, my former teacher had but I perfected it."

"Ah, but even perfected, your skills are still not on par with their originals performed by those specialized in their class," Freud continued thoughtfully, drumming his fingers on the desk. "I shall give you credit where it's due and say that it's extraordinary that just by a glance, you are able to distinguish individuals' flow of mana, its characteristics, and the way it's directed but while that may be, your skills are still an imitation in the end. Just being able to distinguish mana flow and copying it is not enough. The level of expertise within each class is so fine that it may even be impossible to copy it perfectly and although you are able to use your cane to create a proxy conduit, it's not the same as the real conduit and thus it's not enough to bring out the full potential of the skills.

"There's also the case that while an individual may be able to use more than one element, they still only have one or two elements they are the _most_ affiliated with which includes the Paladins with their main affinity towards holy. Afrien, as another example, can use all manner of magic of different elements, such as ice and lightning, but these powers pale in comparison to his main affinities, which are fire and darkness. You, on the other hand, are curiously not the case. It appears you have no affinity whatsoever, which would normally render you unable to use any elemental magic save neutral but instead, your non-affiliation has made you a jack of all trades so to speak, giving you the capacity to handle all manner of elements but with a decreased power output. It's most peculiar."

Freud glanced at Phantom and couldn't help the exasperated sigh at the boastful look he now donned.

"_But,_ do keep in mind, Phantom, that just as the situation you find yourself in now, imitation without a deeper understanding of the mechanics is what makes your replicated abilities so much weaker. Furthermore, just as any scientific progress advances ever onward, so too does magic in its ever growing complexities. You may even find yourself one day unable to copy the skills of some future classes."

Phantom scoffed. "There is nothing I can't do. I'll figure it out."

Freud quirked a brow at that. "Is that so? Need I remind you that there are currently four other people stationed throughout your immediate area right this moment whose abilities you cannot copy?"

"Yes well, with all of you as the _exception _rather than the case."

"I suppose. To be fair, we all have different circumstances that prevent you from being able to duplicate our skills," Freud said thoughtfully as he sat back in his seat. "Mercedes's powers are mostly drawn from the spirits around her through her close relationship with nature though this also means the elements she uses in her supportive magic are not hers per se. Aran's expert manipulation of her mana in her combinations is nothing short of masterful and such artful and tight control is something almost all will never be likely to achieve in their lifetimes. My skills require a bond with an Onyx Dragon and lastly Luminous…"

Freud hummed. "Truthfully, I don't believe anyone outside the Light Mages are even capable of using light magic. As far as I know, only mages born of Serenity can ever hope to wield light magic. No one has been able to replicate their magic, not even the Priests, who practice one of light magic's closest cousins, could do it. As you already know, light magic represents a more distilled or purer version of holy magic and that may be the reason why. No matter what they do, they cannot seem to attain that same level of purity in their light. This failure to replicate suggests that it may require some form of innate talent or rare affiliation with light magic after all, despite their common thread of light manipulation, holy and light magic have completely different properties. If not for that, holy magic could have very well been made a subcategory under light magic. In fact, it is still a matter of much contention with the scholars."

Freud sighed. "Such foolishness. If that is to be believed then they may as well make dark magic a subcategory as well." He got up and started towards one of the nearby bookshelves. "And so, we have come full circle once again to the topic of light magic. In order to commemorate such an occasion, I shall now hand you several assignments to make up for lost time."

Phantom's conceited expression immediately dropped.

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**NoxPersona9:** I hope I've answered your question adequately and clearly here! If not, please do tell me and I'll attempt to explain it a little more! Oh! Or better yet, try looking at Frozen Fate's response in the reviews!

Remember, any and all insights or questions are welcome!


	8. Day 7, Lesson 6 5 & 7

**JusKIdding:** Yaaaay I'm making people laugh! \( ;_;)/

**NoxPersona9:** Gah! I want to answer ALL your questions to the fullest extent but some of them I have planned to explain in future stories and I'm afraid that it might annoy people because the answer is more lengthy than the actual story hahaha ;_;

A deeper understanding will make his skills stronger as when you put SP into Impeccable Memory, I imagine him learning a little more about the mechanics but as Frozen Fate had so excellently explained, Phantom would be more concerned with the execution rather than the theory behind it. I can't imagine him trying to study any deeper into the subject because it'd probably bore his brains out and he's kind of a lazy butt as we've seen XD

Regarding Freud, I have a vague backstory planned out for him and yes, his touchiness is due in part to his friendship with Afrien but it's also due to his history, which I'll give a very short glimpse into in about four more chapters. It doesn't answer the reason for his touchiness but it hints at a maybe less than perfect life. Truthfully, it doesn't reveal too much except what's on the surface but I will say this: We all have skeletons in our closets and Freud is no exception. Also, fire and darkness are Afrien's main affinities, not Freud's. I see him as having a main affinity with only fire.

About Luminous: Brilliant observation! That is exactly what I had planned to address in one of my future stories called Strategy Meeting, which I had planned to complete after Homecoming as a sequel to War Council, which will come sometime while Homecoming is being written. Afrien's darkness won't diffuse into Freud the same way as the Black Mage did with Luminous though because they don't share the same kind of bond as Luminous does with the Black Mage. I'm kinda iffy about how much I should reveal about my explanation for Luminous's personality shift and how he was even able to get tainted in the first place before Strategy Meeting is out but I'll say that it's not due to the dark magic although he did inherit it. Remember, it isn't about what the magic _is_ but who wields it_. _Also, light magic is different from holy magic. Holy magic's light is more akin to the sun's with the infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and all that fun stuff but light magic is just pure light so it doesn't diffuse through dark creatures the same way as holy but I have my own theory about what happened with Luminous and the Black Mage. But anyway, that doesn't make light magic any more superior to holy, just unique as all the elements are in their own right.

I love your questions so never stop asking! It doesn't make you sound like a noob; it shows me that you're putting some serious thought into what I've written and I appreciate it very much! And yes, I'll continue Homecoming hahaha! I'm working on it but it may still be a while ;_;

Aw crap the answer turned out very lengthy anyway. I'M SORRY EVERYONE OTL

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**Day 7, Lesson 6.5 & 7:** Intermediate Theory of Light Magic III

Everything felt like it spun. The words refused to focus correctly and the ink was starting to swim across the pages as his eyes struggled to find coherence within their strokes and combinations that are becoming more and more indecipherable by the passing minute.

Complex terms, concepts, explanations, descriptions, all of it were beginning to swirl disjointedly around inside his head like a violent tornado, relentlessly assaulting his mind and overloading his senses until it felt as if everything would burst out at any moment. The pressure from within threatened to explode, pounding and throbbing viciously against his skull as though screaming demands of release.

Phantom massaged his head in a vain attempt to assuage the ache but it continued to persist painfully.

A small clinking sound caught his attention and he turned to meet with the sight of a sympathetic-looking Freud setting down a tray laden with a plate of biscuits, a teapot, and two teacups full of what smelled like chrysanthemum tea.

Freud pulled up his chair beside him in front of the desk, shuffling his own work towards him and smiling, he lifted one of the teacups from its saucer.

"We have a long night ahead of us, no?"

Phantom managed a tired smile though it belied the lightness in his heart.


	9. Day 8, Lesson 7 5 & 8

**Frozen Fate:** That's a very thoughtful of you and I agree. Darkness is simply darkness. The only thing that's scary about it is the unknown, of being unable to see through it but sometimes, I think we need that enigma in life so that it could make us strong enough to face it. And sometimes, light can also be cruel in that it forces us to gaze upon the gruesome truths it may reveal without ignorance as an excuse to allow us to avert our eyes so it really all depends on the context. If it were all that simple and black and white, how did the Black Mage, the Transcendent of Light himself, get corrupted?

And huge comments are appreciated! I enjoy seeing what other people have to say rather than listening to myself rambling on in my head hahaha.

**Thezombiemarch:** Aw thank you ;w; And yessssss, watching Phantom suffer is so amusing somehow bwahahaha 8D I guess maybe it's because it's good to watch him get knocked off a few pegs every once in a while XD

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**Day 8, Lesson 7.5 & 8:** Advanced Theory of Light Magic I

"Hmm, it appears we're a little behind," Freud said, tapping his quill against his lips. "It seems like we might have to use that extra day since I can't skim off any more than I already have in order to essentially compact a year's lessons into two weeks."

Beside him, Phantom nodded tiredly. Dark rings were starting to show and he looked positively exhausted and Freud felt a stirring of worry and empathy in his chest but he quickly clamped down on it. Phantom had wanted to do this, was determined to do this, and he cannot afford to disrespect that by going soft on him and ruin what chances he had for learning this material within the time limit. He had faith that Phantom would pull through.

"Alright then, we begin."

* * *

Again, I'm so sorry this is so short and I'm also sorry for the intermissions. Your regularly scheduled dose of magic facts resumes next chapter DX


	10. Day 9, Lesson 8 5 & 9

**The 21 blue dudes:** Thank you so much! I feel very flattered ;_; I haven't read more than a few chapters of the story a long time ago, truthfully, but nonetheless, when you mentioned Kal Ancalas's work, I start to recall the impression that story has made on my mind and it is a very lasting impression.

Wow you've given me a wallop of a question there hahaha! Well… Okay I'll be very honest, I've never taken physics ever. Like… ever. Not in high school (some complications cropped up with class scheduling) or in my college career because the major I'm studying for doesn't require physics knowledge. So much of what I'm relying on is super rudimentary knowledge (and Wikipedia. I'm sorry I have sinned ;_;) or what I have gleaned from chemistry but you've brought up an interesting point and I'll try to answer your question as best as I can!

I guess in theory lightning and fire mages could manipulate light because it's one of the things both are composed of but as Freud had said with holy magic, the Priests can't seem to purify their light of its heat and excess radiation so I'd imagine that the lightning and fire mages would also have similar trouble manipulating that one aspect of their magic without manipulating the heat portion to an equal degree and it doesn't help that they're so acclimated to using both that it's almost unimaginable to do only one or the other.

I feel like I've only skirted around your question and haven't answered it fully so please tell me if you're iffy about the answer :/

* * *

**Day 9, Lesson 8.5 & 9:** Advanced Theory of Light Magic II

"… So the radiant flux becomes magnified tenfold, producing a net quism light output of about five hundred forty-six point seventy-three watts… Phantom? Are you with me?"

Phantom winced and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Freud. Yes, I'm with you."

Freud paused and studied him for a few moments before sighing. "What am I to do with you?"

"Continue teaching me the wondrous world of quism light outputs and spectral intensities?" Phantom suggested grinning broadly.

"Indeed."

"Actually… I was just thinking…"

"Yes well, I would rather hope so because that _is_ the whole point of this venture," Freud said cheekily, grinning.

"Ha ha the apex of comedy you are but no, what I was wondering is if travelling at the speed of light slows down time per se, does it have to do with time magic?"

Freud's eyes lit up. "Ah, very insightful. I'm glad you're applying what you've learned to other things even if they do rather deviate from the topic at hand but yes, if one could travel as fast as light, they could essentially travel into the future. This is also how Luminous's Light Blink works. Teleport and Dragon Blink are similar but rather than moving at the speed of light, these spells simply physically transports the caster through space. By activating a spell that would allow him to travel briefly at light speed in one second intervals, the world in essence slows to a standstill for him, allowing him to travel extended distances in a blink of an eye.

"However, time magic is a lot more complicated than that. It's one of the oldest and most arcane magic known to Maple and its mechanisms are mysterious and not well understood. It seems to exist outside of every known element but if you really wish to place it in a category, neutral would be the closest fit but even that doesn't fully capture the entirety of time magic's essence because while it may not hold any elements, it could still be thought of an as an element all on its own. It's really rather strange to think about…

"Research on it has only begun to scratch the surface. Part of the trouble I have with findings ways to seal the Black Mage using time magic is the lack of any conclusive results from research. The literature all seem to be in disagreement with each other and deciphering through all the evidence while conducting my own experiments is rather lengthy and time-consuming. We know the existence of the Transcendent of Time, Rhinne, so if only there was a way to contact her…"

Freud shook his head and tapped the parchment in front of them. "So if I've answered your question sufficiently, let's continue. Now, the irradiance here is…"


	11. Day 10, Lesson 9 5

Hey, so a **quick note: I edited Day 3, Lesson 2 & 3 to add more details about how holy could be effective against dark. So if you would like, please go back and take another peek! **Actually, I should've explained it more since the beginning because I've already thought it out but I ignored that feeling and just pressed ahead like an idiot and for that, I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused.

* * *

**Day 10, Lesson 9.5:** Advanced Theory of Light Magic III

"Freud, I recall you saying that it takes about a year to learn all this," Phantom piped up from where he was carefully laying down the numbers necessary to calculate light output. "So did it take you a year to learn this?"

Freud shot him a dry look and replied, "Do you really wish to go on yet another tangent?"

"It won't be a tangent if you give a quick answer," Phantom shot back, grinning.

"Fair enough I suppose," Freud sighed. "Hmm… If I could recall… I think it took me around three months." His eyes drifted to the ceiling as he attempted to drudge up the approximate time span from within his mind. "But it was so many years ago that I've forgotten precisely how long."

Phantom arched a brow. "So when did you learn this?"

"I believe when I was about… thirteen?"

"Thirteen?" Phantom echoed in astonishment.

Freud chuckled half-heartedly. "Yes, I believe so. People were all so astounded. They hailed me a prodigy, a genius they called me… Well, I suppose everyone apart from two were amazed. To them, it's to be expected," he recalled absently.

Phantom frowned. "They?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I got caught up with myself. They were my parents," Freud said calmly.

"I see…" Phantom's eyes drifted over his work, absently checking it over for errors. There were none, of course. "So how did you meet Afrien? I thought your area of expertise lies in studying magic, not magical creatures."

"Ah well, believe it or not, I didn't start off studying magic. I was actually originally in the study of magical objects. While trekking through Minar Forest to do some field research examining the magical properties of certain plants one day, I was assaulted by some monsters which Afrien came so graciously to save me from. Actually, you can thank Afrien for my conversion over towards the study of magic. Without his friendship, I would have never been inspired to take up that research in order to find a way to bond ourselves… and perhaps I never would have been inspired if it weren't for that. Afrien's friendship with me is a lot more than simply that. He has literally changed my life."

Phantom pursed his lips as he stared at one of the numbers, the quill clenched in his hand unmoving.

Freud glanced towards him and smiled. "You're falling behind again."

Phantom jolted and hastily began to scrawl down numbers and symbols once again.


	12. Day 11, Lesson 10

**The 21 blue dudes:** It is absolutely _no_ problem. I enjoy your questions because they are interesting to think about! In fact, I was so excited about what your second question might be that I pretty much stalked my own story OTL I need a life ;_;

Okay, onto matters! I'm afraid I'm not going to explain who Erithros is or what his principles are because well… I don't know them myself 8D Its main function was basically to just serve as a vehicle onto which I could actually write about magic so he and his principles will always be something way beyond our imaginations, unfortunately.

The category my dark magic falls into… well… it's basically its own category so it's very broad. Think of it like a black hole. Its basic "property" is that it's a void, absent of any light, heat, radiation, energy, charge, etc. and that's what I mean by void magic, not that it brings people back from "the void" necessarily unless you count bringing them back as undead as actually bringing people back from death. Actually, while I was writing about void magic, I was thinking about Hilla's zombies and how she was able to reanimate them (so your question kinda got ninja'd hahaha.) Basically, I imagine that what you do is you fill a skeleton or a carcass or something with dark magic and what it'll do is suck a poor wandering spirit into it because dark magic seeks to stabilize itself by absorbing what it lacks, much like how the cold sucks away heat. So, dark magic sucks in a nearby soul, satisfying its need for energy while trapping the hapless soul which then animates the body/bones and voila! You've got yourself a nice skeletal army or a nice rotting one of zombies! So I guess it's kind of different from Garth Nix's Nothing since you don't mold dark magic like clay per se but you do fill dead people with void to suck in souls.

I hope this has been informative and please tell me if you 're still confused on some points!

* * *

**Day 11, Lesson 10:** Erithros's Principles of Equinox I

"My, my our days are numbered now aren't they? But we have finally reached the point we have wished to reach, which is Erithros's Principles of Equinox. Using the previous knowledge we have garnered, we can now understand his principles and why they are so. Are you excited, Phantom?"

"I won't be excited until I see Luminous's constipated expression on his eremitic face when he sees how remarkable I am. I bet he doesn't even know half this stuff himself!"

"Do try to avoid being excessive with your taunts and we are not finished just yet. There is still a ways to go. I recommend that you clear yourself of your own constipated expression before you go ahead making fun of others' expressions."

"Hey! I am much too dignified to ever have such a tasteless countenance!"

* * *

Magic facts resumes next chapter with a little more about holy and dark!


	13. Day 12, Lesson 11

**Day 12, Lesson 11:** Erithros's Principles of Equinox II

"Freud… I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now but I've never been given the opportunity to do so…" Phantom started, breaking the previous hush held over the room. "But ever since you've shown me the affinity circle, I've been wondering how someone could have two affinities on opposite ends of the circle."

Freud glanced up briefly from one of the scrolls he was perusing and replied, "Affinities are simply all the types of elements one is capable of learning and wielding while main affinities are those elements that are essentially innate within a person, elements that they can wield as naturally as breathing. The chart merely reflects what elements one would have an easier time learning if they were primarily affiliated with a certain element. It never implied it's impossible to learn what's on the opposite end. The only elements that matter are those immediately to the left and right of your element of interest otherwise, distance between elements on that chart means nothing. Now, if you had wanted to see which elements you'd have a harder time learning, you would look at an opposition circle."

Another glance up towards Phantom bearing a confused furrow in his brow told him that he'll need to elaborate a little more.

"Unlike the affinity circle, the opposition circle allows you to view elements that are at the extremes of each other and it consists of mainly four elements: fire, water, holy, and dark. I think fire and water are the more intuitive ones but what usually confuses beginners at first is why holy and dark oppose each other while light and dark don't. As a quick review, recall what you've learned about holy magic and what I said about dark magic a few days prior. Do you remember what I said about it?"

Phantom nodded.

"Used by those with much darker intentions, dark magic's tendency to seek and absorb means that it has an ability much coveted by black magic users, an ability to take one of the most valuable things a person may own: their life. Make no mistake, any other element is also capable of killing and inciting destruction but none is able to do so on a grander scale than dark magic. But while dark magic seeks and absorbs, holy magic engulfs and creates, essentially cancelling each other out. Light magic has neither such an ability nor property and therefore isn't as at odds with dark magic.

"Now, to answer your original question, let's take two elements at the extremes from one another from the opposition circle and focus on one; fire for example. If we think about the properties of fire and what makes it work, we'll find that it's almost the reverse of the properties of water magic and how _it_ works so if you understand fire magic, it's possible to also learn water magic by doing the exact opposite. At least in theory it seems simple enough but in practice, it is very difficult to achieve which is why the Paladins are applauded for their exceptional talent in their navigation of the elements. Now, if I've satisfied your curiosity sufficiently, please return to your studies. Our focus is on light magic after all, not on anything else."

With that note of finality, both parties returned to their previous intense concentration on their work.


	14. Day 13, Lesson 12

**Erzazel:** Aw thank you so much! I'm happy to hear that you like this story enough to check for it everyday XDDD It always lifts me up whenever someone tells me that they derived as much enjoyment out of reading my stories as much as I derived enjoyment out of writing them. It just makes me happy to know that that enjoyment transfers over to other people hahaha!

* * *

**Day 13, Lesson 12:** Mathematical Proofs I

"No, no, the answer for this is wrong. Tell me what this equation means again," Freud said, tapping at the aforementioned sequence of symbols on the page.

Phantom heaved a breath in frustration, almost ready to bang his head on the desk. He had done so well with these math-whatsits last time so why does it seem as though he's making mistakes at every turn this time?

Freud shook his head. "I'm sorry for your frustrations, Phantom, but the material here is simply harder. It requires you to _think_ more, to be able to fit together previous information like the pieces of a puzzle. Come on, you've done such things before, haven't you? Otherwise you wouldn't have come this far both as a thief and in this task."

"No, I suppose not but none of what I had to do ever involved blasted numbers, numbers everywhere!" Phantom cried dramatically, flinging his arms into the air.

Freud sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

… I think many of us shared the same frustration with math at some point or another in our lives ._.


	15. Day 14, Lesson 13

**JusKidding:** It's the bane of my existence too but sometimes I like to think of them like puzzles or riddles… doesn't make me feel any less frustrated with it when I hit snags though ;_;

**Erzazel: **Yes, many years toiling away under the slavery of the thing called… math =_=

**LunarSkyes:** I was pretty decent at it but seeing numbers will always frighten me, which is kind of unfortunate because math is pretty essential for many things I think. It's great that you passed anyway though hahaha XD And thank you! I will keep going so keep enjoying!

* * *

**Day 14, Lesson 13:** Mathematical Proofs II

"Hmm… Much better. I can see the improvements," Freud commented, eyes following the lines of numbers and equations. He set the papers down and smiled. "You've done exceptionally well for such a short period of time."

"But of course! Nothing is impossible for the likes of me," Phantom preened, plucking the papers back up and admiring his own handiwork in perfect, neat penmanship. "All that's left now is to lecture in front of a few old codgers and make Luminous eat his own words!"

Freud rolled his eyes and smacked Phantom in the back of the head with a hardcover text.

"Ow! Wha—"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now," Freud stated dryly, resting the tome on his shoulder. "We still have the rest of the day to study and review the material and that's vitally important considering the fact you've only had two weeks to learn all this."

Phantom scoffed. "I've already learned Erithros's Principles. It's not as if I'd forget it anytime in a hur—Ow! Stop that!" he cried, turning to shoot a withering look towards the mage. "Do you carry books around as weapons, Freud? Because I think you should start."

"In short," Freud continued as though he had never been interrupted, "You're going to cram until the very moment you must stand in front of those scholars. _Understood?_"

Phantom nodded mutely at the tone that threatened Very Bad Things Will Happen If He Did Not Comply.

* * *

Only one more chapter to go! Go, go finish line!


	16. Final Day: Day of the Lecture

First of all, **I'd like to thank you all for your wonderful support/questions** **(even the ones who haven't reviewed/faved/followed yeah you! I see yoooou OvO)** The amount of views and visitors in just this one month for this story was staggeringly high. In fact, the stats in May for this story beat even my leading story's stats in that same month by a very, very, VERY wide margin and that has _never _happened before as it always held the most views for consecutive months since conception (and it's in a quote on quote, "popular" fandom too… I'm always looking for ways to one-up it XD) and it maKES ME SO HAPPY THAT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE!

And so, The Challenge draws to a close but although this may be so,** my open invitation for further questions and insights are not. I will always be open to those whether it's one week from now, one month from now, or years from now** so never be hesitant to drop a comment or two and I may even try to squeeze a few of those ideas in somehow!

**FirebirdS0ul:** Thank you for your kind compliments! And yes, I'm very sad to see this story end too because I had a lot of fun ;w; I feel like I want to do something else explaining the other magic (because a majority of it was spent explaining dark, light, and holy) but I don't know what to say about them ;_; And it's no problem! There's no need to thank me!

**The 21 blue dudes:** Ah, do you mean photographic memory? If so then yes, Phantom does have photographic memory as was mentioned by Freud in the first chapter but his ability to remember and copy skills doesn't _give _him photographic memory. He was simply born with it. I also don't think he'll forget a skill if it's not performed in front of him because if that were the case, you wouldn't even be able to use the skills from Impeccable Memory anywhere outside the range of the original person he lifted the skill off of.

Huh, I suppose I never really did cover mental effects of spells. It might be something I'd want to fit… somewhere P: Well anyway, I guess using two opposing elements at the same time might have some mental strain because you're trying to concentrate on two elements with completely different constitutions at the same time but since the two elements would cancel each other out right on the offset as soon as they've taken form from your mana anyhow, it'd be a pointless venture no one's going to attempt anyway hahaha.

If I were to write a villain, what traits would they have? What an interesting question! I might be a bit long-winded so please bear with me for a while. First of all, my villain wouldn't be insane. They would be just as rational as any one of us. The villain lies not within the insane but within the normal everyday folks, the idea that any one of us right now, right this moment could be made a villain because we all have our darker sides and we know it. And many of us don't have insanity to fall back on as an excuse; the kind of villain any ordinary reader could resonate with.

Second of all, I'm sure you've heard the saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" and I believe that would be a big factor into what goes into my villain. Most of us don't go around thinking, "I'm going to do evil because I just am." We're only "evil" because circumstances, experiences, emotions, and interactions made us this way, shaping the way we behave and think either out of necessity or because our minds are eventually influenced by these numerous things so what would at first be a quest of good will could quickly deteriorate into something that does more harm than good out of naiveté or because it's genuinely believed to be good regardless. Human motives don't operate without reason, emotions, or beliefs and oftentimes, it's "me" and "everybody else" so we often don't understand what's behind the veil, seeing each other's actions through a filter of our own reasons and beliefs in order to distinguish what's "good" and what's "bad." Because of that, we have ambiguity. What's seen as villainous to some is seen as heroic to others and my villain would be ambiguous because most nothing is ever completely black and white.

As for other traits such as personality and character… that depends on what kind of backstory you have for them which depends on the kind of story you're writing. But the short of it all is that I think the most important trait my villain would have is, ironically, their humanity.

I hope this helps and good luck with your story! And yes, I'll attempt to R&R to the best of my ability XD

* * *

**Final Day:** Day of the Lecture

"… If there are no more questions, then I must sadly end today's lecture. Thank you for lending me your utmost attention, ladies and gentlemen. It has been the greatest of pleasure to stand before you all," Phantom concluded smoothly, sweeping into a perfect bow amid a round of enthusiastic applause.

One of the Light Mages walked up to him and offered a hand to shake, which Phantom took with a pleasant smile.

"I must say! You have done an exquisite job with this presentation! Your knowledge was flawless and the delivery was simply astounding!" the mage said earnestly. "Tell me my boy, where on earth did you learn such complex knowledge at such a young age? It is simply marvelous!"

"Well," Phantom began, casting a glance towards the side where Freud stood inconspicuously nearby. "I had some help but for the most part, I've studied it myself."

There were sounds of impressed murmurs among the audience and Phantom basked in their admiration of him.

Yes, yes, he was wonderful, thank you, thank you very much. Please, do not hesitate to bask in awe of his glory. By all means, continue to be bedazzled by his complete and utter amazingness. There was more than enough to go around.

He spotted Luminous amidst the crowd of his adoring fans and with a grin large and boastful enough to befit a man who had just won the world, he discreetly sidled up to his rival and said casually, "So… Luminous the Light Mage… An irresponsible, pretentious, lazy, and inept thief knows light magic better than you do. How does that make you feel?"

Luminous shot him a dry look. "I _had_ been contemplating on congratulating you but I suppose good sportsmanship is lost to you, heavens know why I could ever even think you would be capable of such a thing in the first place," he replied, glaring at the giddy man in front of him. "I hope you are most thankful to Freud for his patience and generosity in taking the time to no doubt teach you and without whom all this would have been impossible in the first place."

"Now, now, don't be such a sore loser. I'm sure one day, you'll be able to learn your own magic better than a thief does," Phantom said, nodding sagely.

"You are insufferable as you currently are, a complete repellant to any form of interaction," Luminous remarked, frowning. "So if you are quite finished with your childish endeavors to deride me, I shall now take my leave. Good day."

With that, Luminous turned and strode away.

Heh, he'll let him go for now after all, he was in a good mood but so help him, he'll never, never, _never_ let Luminous live this down.

Chortling under his breath at the prospect he turned his sights elsewhere and upon alighting onto his target, he bounded over and pulled Freud into a bear hug.

"You, my good sir, are now my most favorite person in Maple! Feel honored that I have bestowed such a title on you! The great Master Thief Phantom doesn't pick just _anyone_ to be his favorite person!"

"I'm so flattered," Freud replied flatly, pushing Phantom off before smilingly assessing the thief in front of him. "Done rubbing your victory in the poor man's face? That was shorter and quicker than I expected."

"His pride could thank my good mood," Phantom snickered with a wide smirk.

"And here I was wondering if you were capable of mercy. I wouldn't underestimate Luminous's knowledge if I were you," Freud said amusedly. "Erithros's Principles of Equinox are indeed very complex that not many can grasp but it doesn't mean that Luminous doesn't understand other aspects of his light magic. He _is _a Light Mage of Aurora after all. If he didn't learn his own magic, he wouldn't be able to use some of his more advanced light spells."

"Doesn't change the fact that I one-upped him in his own field," Phantom said smugly.

"And it doesn't change the fact that your victory came at a pig-headed cost. I suggest you go take a rest now before you collapse or fall asleep on your feet," Freud advised.

Phantom snorted. "Sleepless days and nights are nothing new to me."

Freud shrugged. "Suit yourself but if I were you, I wouldn't want my image to be ruined by collapsing in the middle of a congregate that I had impressed with my apparent brilliance just a mere few moments ago."

"… You really know which buttons to push to get me moving don't you?"

"But of course. I wouldn't be your favorite person if I didn't now would I?"

Phantom sighed dramatically and made a show of dawdling before slowly trudging away so as to hide the fact that he really did feel like collapsing then and there.

"Oh and Phantom?"

Phantom turned inquisitively.

Freud smiled, expression warm as the sun and eyes bright as the sea awashed with pride.

"Congratulations."

**Challenge, end!**

* * *

And so ends the challenge… or is it? Speaking of challenges… **I propose a challenge of my own!** Those brave enough, step up! My challenge is this:

**Pick any character, monster, or heck even background feature in the game—the more obscure, the better—and give them a backstory; give them personality, character, and history; give them _life_.**

This isn't by any means a contest and I have no intention of judging anyone's work as "better" or "worse" so there are no prizes if you decide to take up this challenge. This is something purely just for fun! It could be a serious piece or it could be crack! But if you will, I'd be glad to match your answer to my challenge with an answer of my own! It's only fair that I participate in my own challenge after all and I think it'd be fun so I _want_ to participate! So if you'd like to match challenges, pop me a PM and I'll start write away (heh pun sorry) and once we're finished, we'll both publish our answers at the same time!


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